Ronda Rousey Reacts to Dana White's Conor McGregor UFC Announcement

On Saturday night, Ronda Rousey returned for one final fight to end her mixed martial arts career, stepping into the hexagon against fellow legend, Gina Carano.

Rousey, a heavy favorite to win in her return after 10 years, made quick work of her opponent, securing an armbar to force Carano to tap out within 17 seconds.

The main event match was part of a card presented by Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) MMA, which also featured former UFC stars Francis Ngannou, Mike Perry, and Nate Diaz in action.

Ngannou achieved “Performance of the Night” with his late first-round knockout of Philipe Lins. However, that particular bout drew attention when UFC boss Dana White made a huge announcement: Conor McGregor will fight again in UFC this July.

Read more:Ronda Rousey Sends Clear Message About MMA Future After Quick Win

White confirmed previous reports suggesting McGregor will have a rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11. However, the timing of the announcement drew attention, as White made it during the walkout for the Ngannou fight.

During her post-fight press conference, a reporter asked Rousey for her reaction to the timing of White’s announcement, since she’d previously been outspoken against her former organization, the UFC, and Hunter Campbell.

“It’s kind of catty,” she said, laughing. “It also shows that they see MVP MMA as a threat that they would do it in that moment and do it at that time. I feel like it’s also a compliment because it elevates MVP MMA, and they’re declaring us as a real rival. I think that’s such a compelling story and now they’re helping us tell it.”

Rousey competed in MMA from 2010 to 2016, becoming a headliner in the women’s division. She was undefeated until November 2015, when she ran into Holly Holm, who defeated her via first-round knockout. Rousey then suffered her second loss in December 2016 against Amanda Nunes by TKO.

She seemingly retired from fighting, joining WWE for several years and winning various women’s championships, before deciding to leave professional wrestling behind. Rousey then decided to return for one final fight against legend Gina Carano to officially end her career.

However, she did her final fight as part of Jake Paul’s MVP MMA organization on Netflix, likely to help Paul boost the promotion. It grabbed publicity and attention, but faced backlash due to the brevity of the main event.

Meanwhile, Rousey believes this was a major success and that UFC should be concerned with what MVP MMA is doing. That remains to be seen, though MVP MMA has an advantage with the massive subscriber and viewership base that comes with Netflix, while White’s UFC events stream on Paramount+ and ESPN+.

Based on that, White has some reason to be concerned, and while Rousey and others might see it as “catty,” it was also a smart business move to help lure more viewers to McGregor’s big rematch against Holloway.

Read more:Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano Fight Draws Backlash for Quick Result

For more about MMA, head over to Newsweek Sports.

2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.

This story was originally published May 17, 2026 at 7:34 PM.